I don’t follow a huge amount of the various literary prizes that exist, but when I first heard about The Climate Fiction Prize I was very excited. If you’ve been following my reviews for a little bit, you’ll have seen that I read a fair amount of non-fiction and all of it nature writing. In my life outside of books I work with the environment, and the health of it and our planet as a whole is a topic that is personally very important to me. I won’t go on here about it as that is not the point of this blog, but to see a prize like this being established is a huge deal. Having stories about the climate crisis is more important than ever. This quote from the Prize website sums it up:

For societies to fully grasp the climate change threat and to embrace its solutions, we need better stories. It’s not enough for audiences to know about climate change; they need to see an uncertain future and understand that change is urgent but possible. 

Many of us already see tackling climate as important; but we don’t always know how we should respond. Fiction can help us imagine what change can look like.

I have decided to read all 5 books on the shortlist, hopefully before the winner is announced. One I have already read and I started on the second, rather aptly I think, during Earth Hour on the 22nd. I’ll leave info about the books below in case something catches your eye – the book covers will link to their Storygraph pages and I’ll update each as I read and review.

THE SHORTLIST

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

A BOY MEETS A GIRL. THE PAST MEETS THE FUTURE. A FINGER MEETS A TRIGGER. THE BEGINNING MEETS THE END. ENGLAND IS FOREVER. ENGLAND MUST FALL.
There are several ways to tell a story.

See my full review here.

And So I Roar by Abi Daré

Plucky fourteen-year-old Adunni is in Lagos, excited to finally enrol in school. Having escaped her rural village in a desperate bid to seek a better future, she’s found refuge with Tia, a kind and brilliant woman on her own troubled journey of self-discovery.
But it’s not so simple to run away from your past.

See my full review here.

Briefly Very Beautiful by Roz Dineen

The world is on fire. And what will you do?

In a city rocked by global catastrophe, home-grown terrorism, shortages and wildfires, Cass is quietly raising three small children by herself. Her husband, Nathaniel, has left to serve as a medic in a war overseas.

See my full review here.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. 

See my full review here.

The Morningside by Téa Obreht

There’s the world you can see. And then there’s the one you can’t. Welcome to The Morningside.

The Morningside was once the jewel of Island City. But now the luxury high-rise is crumbling and Island City is half-underwater.

See my full review here.

You tell me: What do you think of this prize? Will you read any of the books?